Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add the hash browns and cook 4-6 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Add ham cubes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs, dressing and milk in a medium bowl. Pour over potatoes. Cook 4-5 minutes or until the eggs begin to set, lifting the edges and allowing the uncooked egg to flow underneath.

Baked 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.
4.Serve with salsa.

Serve with salsa.

Recipe Notes

Tip: Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese when the frittata is removed from the oven. Frozen hash browns with onions and peppers are often called Potatoes O’Brien.

Wrap Indiana Kitchen bacon pieces around the outside of the scallops, then attach with a wooden skewer or toothpicks. Cook in a 425 degree oven (on a drip pan) for 20 minutes, or under the broiler for 15 minutes, or grill until Indiana Kitchen bacon is sizzling and brown and scallops are an opaque white.

Melt butter and stir in chili powder and cayenne. Drizzle over scallops before serving.

Recipe Notes

*Partially precook the Indiana Kitchen bacon, please. And do not skip the chili butter! It is delicious.

Cook spaghetti in a 5-quart saucepan according to the package directions. Add the broccoli florets 2 minutes before spaghetti is al dente. (Use the cooking time given on the spaghetti package as a guideline). Drain and keep warm.

Add the Indiana Kitchen ham, Alfredo sauce and pepper flakes to the pan and heat over medium heat until warmed, about 1 minute. Return the spaghetti and broccoli to the pan and toss to mix. Spoon onto individual serving plates.

Gone are the days I long to whoop it up in Times Square and watch the crystal ball drop at midnight. I’d much rather be home with my family, rocking around the clock in my fuzzy slippers, when it’s time to welcome in the early minutes of January. It’s not that I’m a stick in the mud. I love a good party. It’s just that when it comes to saying goodbye to one year and welcoming a new one, I’d rather do it surrounded by those I love most.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to keep the party rolling until the clock strikes twelve, here are some ways to have fun with your family!

Fancy Feast

This year we’re dining in style! Some years I order pizza; others, we’re appetizer central. This year, I’ll set the table with my grandparent’s china, gold-rimmed water goblets and cloth napkins, and we’ll enjoy a large meal together. Mashed potatoes, green beans and a beautifully seasoned pork tenderloin—from Indiana Kitchen—will grace our table and palates. We will enjoy this uninterrupted time together until someone spills their milk, decides they don’t want to sit next to a particular sibling any longer or something else that will make one of our children irate, yet makes absolutely zero sense to me or my husband.

Last Year–This Year

One tradition we began this year was writing down memories throughout the year as they happened—a trip, a funny joke or moment, a favorite event . . . anything that made an impression. We wrote them down on little strips of paper, placed them into a jar, and we’ve been waiting until New Year’s Eve to read them as a family. This year, after we read and remember them, we’ve decided to fill the jar with things we’d like to do in 2016. From silly and outrageous wishes, to achievements we hope to accomplish, to places to visit, we’ll pull one wish a week from the jar throughout the year, and see if we can make it happen. Not all wishes can be fulfilled, however . . . like my daughter’s wish that we become the owners of a dog kennel. Not going to happen, honey.

Pop! Around the Clock

Little ones can be impatient, to say the least. “When is it midnight?” “How much longer?” “How many more minutes?” You know the drill. One of my book-club friends shared a way she keeps her little ones busy until it’s midnight. She buys party poppers, and her children excitedly “pop” one every half hour starting at 9 p.m. Once the last one pops, her children know it’s midnight! Plus, they are entertained with the little toy inside until it’s time to pop again. When they begin to ask, “How much longer?” she simply redirects them to count the poppers and tell her how much longer. Well played!

From this CFO to all of you others out there, I wish you a happy and healthy 2016!

Pat Indiana Kitchen ribs dry with paper towels. Mix together paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano and pepper in small bowl. Rub mixture evenly over both sides of ribs. Wrap ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 hours, if desired.

In a covered charcoal grill, prepare a medium-hot fire. Bank coals on both sides of grill. Place drip pan in center. Place Indiana Kitchen ribs, bone side down, in center of grill over drip pan. Cover and grill over indirect medium heat for 1 hour, adding more briquettes, if necessary, to maintain an even grill temperature.

Generously brush Indiana Kitchen ribs with wing sauce. Continue to grill, covered, for 30 minutes more or until meat is very tender, generously brushing with sauce again after 15 minutes. Transfer ribs to cutting board. Loosely cover with foil; let rest for 10-15 minutes. To serve, brush ribs with sauce and cut into serving-size portions.

Come on, we’ve all done it! No one here is going to judge regifting, because it’s something we’ve all done in some way, shape or form. Whether you’ve wanted to unload that poodle candle Aunt Edna sent for your birthday, or you forgot a friend’s birthday and knew you had something lying around she’d like, you’re in good company. As organized as I strive to be, I’m far from perfect, and I know I’m not the only one who has repurposed a gift. More than half of people surveyed (the brave ones who actually admitted it) said they believe regifting to be absolutely socially acceptable. My take—why should something sit around my home collecting dust when someone else could enjoy it?

Keep these thoughts in mind when trying to decide if you should pass along a gift that could keep on giving to someone else:

Is it something they’d like? If you know your best friend would love a sugarplum-scented candle, and you happen to have one you’ve never burned, why not send it her way? If it’s not something the beholder would find beauty in, then don’t pass it along.

Is it new? I would hope it goes without saying, but I feel like I must say something. Do not—I repeat—do not regift an item that is no longer in its original packaging or that you have used. No half-eaten box of chocolate. No clock that once hung on your kitchen wall. Just no.

Is it a matter of feeling budget-conscious? No one loves to save a penny more than I do, yet exchanging gifts shouldn’t feel like an obligation, especially if your wallet feels like you can’t squeeze out another dollar. Someone who truly cares about you would rather have a homemade batch of cookies or the gift of your time.

Does it need sprucing up? A fresh layer of wrapping paper, a beautiful bow and a card signed with love is the perfect touch. Please, leave no evidence behind of it once being a gift from another. That would be awkward.

Who, what, where? Keep tabs on who gave you the gift originally and for what occasion. You wouldn’t want to give a gift back to the original giver, would you? This, very awkward.

When in doubt, the perfect way to bless someone with something unused in your home is to simply donate it. Just remember to keep to a minimum the giving of fruitcake. It’s for the good of mankind, and I mean this with love.